Now Open: Pa Ord #3 in Thai Town

This city is blessed with so many quality Thai food options, yet the smaller rumblings and neighborhood restaurant shuffles often miss out on any sort of mainstream conversation. The right Koreatown opening or San Gabriel Valley shutter can send food-minded writers into temporary Twitter flurries, but Thai Town expansions don't often garner the same press.

So it's been with the Pa Ord #3 the new northern point for a trifecta of eateries that came on the scene less than four years ago. Besides Zach Brooks of Midtown Lunch, little has been made of this third Pa Ord, which took over the Ganda space in the back left corner of the New Hollywood Plaza, at the epicenter of East Hollywood's Thai Town. The second, more Hollywood-centric location opened less than a year ago in the old Thai Foon space at the corner of La Brea and Sunset, but the emergence of this third space around the first of March seemingly came out of nowhere.

Far from sprawling, Pa Ord #3 is still a decently-sized room, with a dozen or more tables, a long wraparound steam table (a holdover from the Ganda days) and a small section for Thai packed dry goods and snacks. It's rather sunny too, with plenty of windows facing east into the parking lot, where confused drivers trying to figure out if they have to pay the valet guy or not continue to circle.

All of the usual Pa Ord mainstays have made their way up the street to the New Hollywood Plaza, with warm, well-spiced tom yum leading the charge. The soups are an obvious praising point, and the option of picking your style of noodle in heaping, pork-heavy boat noodle bowls always seems like a treat, particularly for newcomers looking for things that feel familiar.

Not that Pa Ord #3 will be known for going far afield of the usual Thai staples. Pad Thai and rad na still anchor the noodle side of the menu, and just about anyone can find a curry in their favor. They've even co-opted the popular fried catfish from the old Ganda menu - you can still find it on the steam table when you come for lunch.

The only real splash being made at this new location is the entertainment. Instead of flickering corner televisions, Pa Ord #3 will host live music every evening from 7 p.m. on, to compliment the late-night feel that Thai Town already embraces. And there's no need to BYOB when continuing the party at this new potential after-party spot; cold Singha bottles are readily available.